Use a pair of water pump pliers on round connections, and you tend to slip or even crush down on it when you squeeze too hard. If you do end up with a hose that only has a captured nut for threading onto a spigot, a hexagonal shape lets you use a wrench on a stubborn connection.
This lets you more easily connect and disconnect the hose from another hose or the faucet at a home or business. That means that, instead of only turning the captured nut to attach the hose to the spigot, you can grasp an elongated section that spins freely. We’ve also come to appreciate a hose that has a threaded female end that is fully “graspable”. Regardless of which comes with your hose, you can replace them if the hose still works and only the end requires maintenance. Lately, however, manufacturers have been using plastic (and you may also see hybrid ends that use both metal and plastic). The couplings that form the ends of garden hoses are typically made of brass (though some use aluminum). Hoses that support drinking water typically use NSF International-listed polymers as opposed to PVC or other plastics that can leach into the water as you drink.īelieve it or not, the ends of the hose matter-at least they do to us. If you want a hose to support drinking water from it, make sure it’s rated as such. Rubber hoses hold up well to being abused and take a lot of abrasions before you run into issues. Of these, rubber may be the most expensive material and you don’t find 100% rubber hoses that often. Manufacturers can make garden hoses from any combination of rubber, extruded polyurethane, and vinyl. If one breaks, you have a much smaller bill than if you bought a single large hose. That often works out better, and shorter hoses cost less than longer ones. However, if you only want the flexibility a longer hose provides, consider picking up two hoses and connecting the additional shorter hose to the first as needed. If you do need a longer hose, by all means, grab the size that fits the task at hand. Garden hoses typically come in four different sizes: 25-, 50-, 75-, and 100-feet.
Calculate the length you need before you pick up a hose that weighs more than you need it to. Lengthīecause we find excessively long hoses unwieldy, you want to make sure you don’t overbuy. Over our years of testing and use, the manufacturer’s choice of materials definitely affects the long-term durability of a hose. We talk about the various hose materials below. You want a product that doesn’t develop pinholes or have the fittings detach from the hose. The best garden hose for your home will be strong enough to hold up over years of use.
Consequently, when a hose gets nicely stored within a reel and only comes straight out to water a small area of your landscaping, you can get away with a less-rugged design. The durability of a garden hose really matters when you intend to drag it around the yard. Here’s how length and diameter affect a garden hose water flow rate based on a 50 PSI spigot: Garden Hose Diameter If you require a particular minimum flow rate, pay attention to both the hose diameter and the length to ensure you deliver what’s needed. You might see the same rate of water flow from a 5/8″ 50-foot hose as you would from a 1/2″ 25-foot hose.